For my great-aunt Mary Maness, following the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 was a natural extension of the faith on which she was raised. At the age of 23, she said good-bye to her family to spread the gospel message in Peking, China.

Teachers have known for years that some children come to kindergarten with a wealth of literary experience and a strong vocabulary while others lag far behind their peers even from the first day of school.

On Sunday, March 9, as I was working in my front yard trying to clean up from the fallen trees and debris the last snow, ice, sleet storm left behind, a couple of heaven-sent new friends stopped by to help me.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl with determined eyes and her very first library card. She was a girl on a mission — find a copy of Marguerite Henry’s “Stormy, Misty’s Foal.” With a little guidance from the friendly children’s librarian, she happily checked out the chapter book and changed the course of her life.

The Pioneer Family Restaurant and Steakhouse and Guil-Rand Fire Department teamed up to raise money for Relay for Life 2014, Wake Forest Baptist Cancer Center and Randolph Cancer Center with a goal of $30,000.

I have heard stories from elders about going to school, saying the Pledge of Allegiance and then actually praying. This country was built on a Christian foundation. So who has told us we can’t pray in schools and other government places?

Nearly two decades ago, a landmark study found that by age 3, the children of wealthier professionals have heard words millions more times than those of less educated parents, giving them a distinct advantage in school. Now a follow-up study has found a language gap as early as 18 months.

Hello to all you seniors out there. I hope you are enjoying the beautiful days of autumn. This is that time of year when mother nature puts on her magic show by setting the green foliage ablaze with colors of red, yellow, orange and golds.

One entertaining pastime for the movie buff is to try to spot famous people in unexpected cameo roles. A cameo is a minor part featuring a well-known person and, in some instances, the performer portrays his or herself but is often just an “extra.”